Teresa’s Corner exceeds owner’s expectations
Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE — Teresa Bonville, owner of Teresa’s Corner Café & Bakery, said business is better than she ever thought it would be.
“It’s been way beyond my expectations,” she said. “I’ve done this line of work my whole life. My grandparents used to have Condon’s Bakery where Riverside Restaurant is now, and I worked there from age 9 up. They had a lunch bar there, too, so this is what I’ve always known.
“I’m from this area and know a lot of people, and a lot of people have known me since I was a kid, so I thought I’d do OK in this business,” said Bonville, “but it’s been better than I could imagine. It’s literally been packed since I opened my doors.”
Teresa’s Corner opened Feb. 2 at 299 Main St. in Presque Isle.
“Before I opened my own restaurant, I worked at Riverside Restaurant for 25 years,” said Bonville. “[Opening my own business] was something I thought about for many years, and when they cut my hours at Riverside I decided, ‘I’ve been doing this for somebody else my whole life, it’s time I started doing it for myself.’”
An old apartment building with a rented out storefront used to occupy the downtown site.
“That building was torn down,” said Bonville, “and we built this building from the foundation up. Everything’s brand new; this is a great location with high visibility. I’m very pleased.”
Bonville said she specializes in “home-cooked meals.”
“I also run specials every day,” she said. “Our portions are huge and the prices are reasonable. With the elderly, for example, a lot of them live on a fixed income, so I wanted to make it so they could afford to go out and eat. Even people with families today … the way the economy is and everybody’s money is tight. I try to make it affordable so people can take their families out once a week. As a matter of fact, a lot of people are telling me that I’m not charging enough.
“People come in for meals, while others stop in to purchase something from the bakery,” said Bonville. “Both aspects are quite popular. Everyone seems to be very happy and satisfied.”
Bonville bakes for the showcase display every day. Items found at the bakery include fig squares, date- and raspberry-filled cookies, chocolate chip cookies, whoopie pies, donuts and bread.
“The most popular item are the cream rolls,” she said. “I make anywhere from 7-8 dozen cream rolls a day.”
The restaurant features 14 tables that each sit four people, and six bar stools. Bonville has 10 employees.
“A lot of them are people that I’ve worked with over the years. They’re very qualified and experienced,” she said. “I’ve been very fortunate with my help.”
Teresa’s Corner is open from 5 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 5 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 6 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday and is closed Mondays.
TERESA’S CORNER CAFE & BAKERY was the site of a ribbon-cutting ceremony Feb. 24, with Presque Isle officials gathering to welcome the new Main Street business that specializes in home-style meals and fresh-baked goods. Pictured for the celebration, in back, from left: Presque Isle Area Chamber of Commerce members Floyd Rockholt and Billie Brodsky; Theresa Fowler, executive director, PIACC; PIACC President Nola Farley; and PIACC members Gretchen Morse and Stacy Shaw. In front, from left: PIACC members Tanya Lapointe and Nancy Fletcher; Teresa Bonville, owner; Kathy Holmes, employee; and Gail Clukey, PIACC member.
TERESA BONVILLE, left, owner of Teresa’s Corner Café & Bakery in Presque Isle, hands a tray of homemade cream rolls to waitress Kathy Holmes to be put in the display case. Bonville, who makes anywhere from 7-8 dozen cream rolls a day, said Teresa’s Corner specializes in home-cooked meals. The restaurant opened Feb. 2 at 299 Main St.
